Container and closure therefor



March 8, 1938. SYBENGA 2,110,406

' CONTAINER AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Filed May 19, 1936 inf/14y:

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES 2,110,406 CONTAINER" AND CLOSURE THEREFOR Jacob J. Sybenga, Pella, Iowa,,assignor of onehalf to Robert C. Lautenbach, Pella, Iowa Application May 19, 1936, Serial No. 80,545 4 Claims. (01. 215-99)= The object of myinvention is to provide a container and closure therefor of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide in combination with a container, aclosure cap which can be screwed onto or otherwise associated with the terminal end of the neck of the container, but when unscrewed will not become disassociated from the container, this being accomplished simply by means of a wire, formed u-shape, and connected with the cap andassociated with the neck in such manner as to permit rotation and tipping of the cap; yet the wire is so associated with the neck that it cannot be slid off the neck. Still a further object isto provide retaining means for the cap of a container which accurately alines thecap with the container neck when it is desired to screw the cap on the neck, yet which permits the cap to fall back to anout-ofthe-way position without becoming disassociated from the container after the cap has been removed from the threaded terminal end of the neck.

Another object is to provide the wire so formed that a slight swing of the container in the proper direction will cause the cap to swing into properly alined position for thereafter screwing it onto the neck.

Another object is to provide a modified form of construction in which aneck and cap are provided, the neck being separable from a container of standard construction.

With these andother objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a container and closure therefor embodying my invention, the container in this case being a collapsible tube for tooth paste or the like, and the cap being shown in disconnected and tipped-back position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to the upper portion of Figure 1 showing the cap swung into position alined with the threads of the neck, Figure 2a being an enlargement of a portion thereof.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the cap screwed into sealing position.

Figures 4- and 5 are sectional views on the lines 4-4 and 55 of Figures 1 and 2 respectively, showing the parts on an enlarged scale.

55 Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a special shape of wire which I use as a means for retaining the cap in associatedposition with the neck;

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing 60 the closure applied to a bottle.

Figure '8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure 7; and

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figure 3 showing the neck of my closure structure separable from the container.

On the accompanying drawing I have used the reference numeral Hi to indicate a container suchas a collapsible tube. It is provided with an elongated neck l2 having a threaded terminal end M, which is enlarged relative to the neck and thereby provides a shoulder IS.

A cap is illustrated at l8 which may be of the ordinary screw threaded type provided with a gasket or with a cone-like projection 20 to seat against the inner edge 22 of the neck I! for sealing purposes, as shown in section in Figures 2a and 3.

I provide a retainer A connected with the cap 18 in any'suitable manner. By way of illustration I show the retainer as being provided with a pair of terminal ends 24 curved to follow a circle and the cap 18 as having an annular groove 26 to receive the terminal ends 24.

The flange below the groove 26 is notched as at 28 for the arm portions 30 of the retainer A to extend through. These portions at their lower ends have finger-like return bends 32 extending partially around one side of the neck l2, when the cap is in the positions of Figures 2 and 3. The retainer wire A has additional portions 34 which are spaced closer together than the portions 30, and which terminate in a cross bar 36.

The cross bar 36 is curved around the opposite side of the neck l2. The portions 34 are substantially parallel to each other and spaced a distance approximately equal'to the diameter of the neck I2 as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The portions 3|] are also parallel to each other, but are spaced apart substantially the diameter of the lower end of the cap 18.

The retainer A is preferably made of spring wire so that its arms can be spread apart and then the terminal ends 24 permitted to spring together into the annular groove 26 for thus connecting the retainer A with the cap. Other means of connection, of course, can be provided, the main requisite being, that the retainer A be permanently secured to'the cap 18 under normal conditions.

My retainer A made in the'form shownpermits the cap it to be unscrewed from the threads I 4 and then dropped back to the open position shown in Figure 1. The cross bar 36 and the fingers 32 are spaced apart a distance equal to substantiallythe diameter of the neck l2, as will be evident from an inspection of Figure 1, so that tipping back to substantially right angles is possible. I

With the parts in the position of Figure 1, the container ill can be swung in a clockwise direction and then, stopped, whereupon momentum will carry the cap l8 to the position of Figure 2, wherein the cap is properly alined for screwing onto the threaded end M of the neck. The two semi-circular parts formed by the fingers 32 and the cross bar 36 serve to cause such alinement, whereupon the cap can be screwed to the sealed position of Figure 3. The neck ll, of course, is long enough to permit movement of the cap from the position of Figure 2 to the position of Figure 3. The shoulder l6 permits the cap to be unscrewed from the position of Figure 2, but prevents any further sliding of the cap and retainer oif the neck i 2, and thereafter the fingers 32 and the cross bar 36 cannot pass the shoulder l6, and therefore the wire A retains the cap disassociation from the neck l2.

The wire A may beinexpensively formed, yet

' serves the purpose of eifectively retaining the cap l8 from disassociation from the neck l2, and provides a quick means of alinement of the cap with the threads on which it is, normally positioned, which is a decided advantage as it eliminates the necessity of having to .be particular about getting the cap accurately arranged at right angles to the axis of the neck before screwing it into position.

My closure cap, of course, is adaptable for bottles and other containers as well as collapsible tubes. In Figure 71 show a bottle Illa. having a neck in anda screw threaded terminal end I la.

- A retainer A and a cap lBa are provided which of a are similarto the retainer and cap already described, except that they'are on a larger; scale. Other parts of the invention as shown in Figures 7'-and 8 which are similar to the parts already described in connection with Figures 1 to 6 bear the same reference numerals with the addition Instead of the curved terminal ends 24 and the groove and the notches 28 I have illustrated the arms 30a as being knurled at their upper ends and moulded into bosses 38 of the'cap 18a, in order to show another method of securing the retainer to the cap.

In Figures '7 and 8 I also show a depressed or fiat portion 40 on .the neck Ila and the portions 34a. as being of slightly less diameter than the diameter of the neck I'Za, so that one of the portions 34a,'when against the fiat side 40, will prevent rotation of the retainer A, when in the position shown in Figures '7 and 8, relative to the neck l2a. This permits rotation of the bottle to a positionwith the cap law extending sidewise whereupon the contents can be poured from the which parts similar to those already described. bear the same reference numeral with the addition of b. The neck 12b has on its lower end a coupling 42 for connection with the neck 44 of a standard collapsible tube or other container 46, whereby the neck unit l2b, the cap unit I81) and the retainer A" of Figure 9 may be provided as an attachment for existing types of containers instead of having to modify the neck of the container as in Figures 1-to 8.

Modifications such as suggested and also others may be made without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivl8 against .disassociation from said neck comprising a single piece of wire formed U-shape, the cross bar thereof being curved around one side of said neck, the terminal ends of the arms of said U-shaped wire being curved to follow a circle in a plane at right angles to the length of said U-shaped wire, said arms intermediate their ends having fingers curved around the side of said neck opposite the side around which said cross bar is curved, said cap having a groove to receive said curved terminal ends, and notches at right angles to said first groove to receive the portions of saidarms adjacent said terminal ends.

2. In a device of the class described, a container having a neck, a cap for the terminalend of said neck and means for retaining said cap against disassociation from said neck comprising a single piece of wire formed U-shape, the cross bar thereof being curved around the front of said neck, the arms thereof extending substantially parallel along thesides of said neck, the terminal ends of said arms being curved to follow a circle in a plane at right angles to the length of said U-shaped wire, said arms intermediate their ends having fingers curved around the back of said neck, said cap having a groove to receive said curved terminal ends, saidfgroove extending at least partially around said cap, said cross bar and fingers being vertically spaceda distancesubstantially equal to the diameter of said neck, said neck being depressedalong one side to prevent rotation of said cap and U-shaped wire when the cap is in position disengaging. the

terminal end of said neck.

direction therearound, said arms intermediate their ends having rebent fingers curved around the back of said neck, said cap having a groove to receive said curved terminal ends and notches to receive said arms'adjacent said terminal ends.

4. In a device'of the class described, a container having a neck, a cap'for the terminal end of saidnck and means for retaining said cap against disassociation from said neck comprising a piece of wire having a cross bar curved around the back of said neck and arms extending along the sides of said neck, the upper ends of said arms being substantially diametrically opposed to each other and bent in opposite directions to lie in a plane at substantially right angles to the length of said retaining meansfsaid ends being curved to follow a circle in said plane, said arms having rebent fingers intermediate their ends, said'rebent fingers being curved around the-front of said neck, said cap having a groove to receive said curved upper ends.

JACOB J. SYBENGA. 

